Session 2 - The Bone Wastes
Half-elf bard Vanyel, human fighter Kiyambe, human monk Mordecai, human warlock Wiley and dwarven monk Marcia stood discussing the orc-led goblin party examining the gigantic metal structure in the Malexian southern hinterlands when they were noticed by them. Kiyambe was convinced the structure was some sort of metal monster, and was surprised it hadn't already come to life and murdered the goblins. The group approached with Mordecai in the lead, using his orcish to ask the leader what they were doing there. The leader, an orc standing on top of the structure, robed in a dark cloak and dark leather armour and armed with a scimitar, told Mordecai that the Felsic Combine had claimed the structure, which quickly lead to a confrontation with the mercenary band. Vanyel took cover behind a small bluff and lobbed off his spell of vicious mockery while Wiley held back and lobbed off spells from afar. Kiyambe closed the distance, downing a goblin with a throwing axe, and Marcia charged into battle as the goblins took position, with Mordecai bringing up the rear. Marcia took the brunt of the attack as the goblins lined up and began to fire off volleys of arrows, and she had to fall back behind Vanyel's bluff, but not before noticing there were a number of strangely proportioned, twisted, larger goblins among them. The orc leader jumped off the structure and lobbed off a dart at Mordecai before being pursued by Kiyambe. He conjured a spell of magical darkness, veiling Kiyambe and two goblins within. Wiley continued to blast spells from a distance while Mordecai found hand to hand with some of the armed goblins. Kiyambe tossed down a sword and threw a goblin at the orc leader, before Vanyel conjured up the image of a dragon before the goblins. The survivors and their boss fled at the sight of a dragon, but the two monstrous goblins who'd been veiled in shadow were revealed. Mordecai explained that their leader had abandoned them and some of their cohort lay dead, and they threw down their weapons and surrendered. Mordecai and Kiyambe interrogated the goblins. They were clearly part of the Felsic Combine, mining in the region to transport tealstone back to a factory northeast of where they were, but their boss had decided to look for more mining in the hinterlands. Marcia, with her medical knowledge, could tell that something had effected the goblins and caused their muscles to bulge unnaturally, causing them pain, while Wiley recalled hearing disciples of a sorcerer back in Victor talk about tealstone, its magical properties, and goblin interest in the strange material. The mercenaries turned their attention on the structure. Wiley climbed up and found a hidden latch above the front of the structure, which opened a back hatch. Mordecai and Marcia searched every inch of the newly revealed inside but found no traps, so Vanyel proceeded within, where the interior was cramped for all but Marcia, with chairs built for smaller sized humanoids. Vanyel decided to experiment with the number of levers at the front of the machine, labeled with gnomish numbers. He quickly learned each latch had an up, down and neutral position, which would cause the structure to do various things. One in particular put the entire structure in motion, automatically turning around and scuttling towards the Bone Wastes. He learned that the vehicle could be stopped, but it seemed set on a course. The mercenaries consulted and decided that this horseless vehicle seemed set on a course, which was likely the lost gnomish city they were after. They boarded and decided to sleep in shifts, occasionally opening the slatted windows for fresh air, and to make sure they seemed on the right course. Thus, they set off in a southwesterly direction, into the Bone Wastes. After three claustrophobic days aboard with only Mordecai's terrible flute playing and Vanyel's significantly better lyre playing as distraction the group noticed a break in the horizon and found the vehicle approaching what looked to be an enormous, overturned ribcage big enough to fit a house comfortably within. While passing through the bones Marcia decided to disembark and examine one to see what it was made of when Kiyambe, following, noticed a half-buried chest at the base of one of the bones. Wiley climbed atop the vehicle to keep an eye on them. Kiyambe cautiously approached the chest, but noticed some movement behind one of the humungous bones. He returned to Marcia and they approached together, when they were ambushed by a band of small lizard-looking humanoids, some winged: kobolds. A kobold inventor lobbed a scorpion on a stick and a pot of wasps at them, missing, while two kobold warriors and some minions charged. Kiyambe grabbed the chest and began to move the long way around the vehicle when one of the kobolds wearing a large pair of false wings blasted Kiyambe with a couple of scorching rays. Wiley attempted to lob an eldritch blast, but his spell backfired, knocking him off balance and sending him tumbling into the sand. Vanyel sealed the door while Mordecai shined a mirror through the slats as a futile distraction. Marcia climbed atop while Kiyambe worked his way around tossing the chest into the vehicle before joining the frey. Vanyel decided his companions could keep up and began moving the machine forward, eventually lowering the back hatch. The kobolds attacked the companions, Marcia especially taking a few good hits before retreating within. Mordecai and Kiyambe fought off the kobolds while Wiley focused his attention on the infuriating kobold spellcaster. He attempted to leap up onto the moving back hatch, but slipped in the sand and bashed his face against the hatch before falling down. Mordecai leapt off to help him and the two downed the spellcaster, eventually leaving the other kobolds dead or left behind. ACTIVE QUESTS -examine the contents of the chest Kiyambe recovered -travel to Galwan G'don -report back to the Victor liaison with their findings